What Reece James did before kick-off in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Inter Milan

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Chelsea captain Reece James was unable to feature in his side’s final pre-season match against Inter Milan on Sunday.

Reece James has picked up another injury, though he was unavailable for Chelsea‘s first few games of the new Premier League campaign anyway because of suspension.

While the right-back is not able to play at the minute, that did not stop him from attending Stamford Bridge on Sunday and supporting the team.

With James sidelined, Chelsea fans think Josh Acheampong could get an opportunity under Enzo Maresca.

• READ MORE: Reece James hints that people are not talking enough about £30m Chelsea player before next season

Reece James’ interaction with Chelsea fans

James must be a bit frustrated right now. The 24-year-old was only able to make 10 appearances in the Premier League last season and is going to miss more games in the 2024/25 campaign because of another hamstring problem.

You could have forgiven James for not being in a talkative mood on Sunday, then, but that was not the case.

According to journalist Rahman Osman, the England international was still happy to chat to supporters behind the Chelsea bench before the Blues kicked off their final friendly against Inter.

Once he is back from injury, the aim will be to help the team qualify for the Champions League. James feels the Chelsea squad are quite close right now, so that is one positive going into the new season.

How long will Reece James be injured for?

James should not be out for too long, which is good news for the new Chelsea manager, who will not want to have to deal with the same kind of injury crisis his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino had to cope with.

According to The Athletic, James could be back for Chelsea’s first game after the international break, which is against Bournemouth on September 14.

In his absence, Malo Gusto will be expected to play, with the 21-year-old not being a bad deputy. Gusto really impressed in his first season at the club, providing nine assists in 37 appearances. It is a very good return for a full-back.